Geoege be acock and teeence spaeham



(No Model.)

G. BEA'OOGK & T. SPARHAM.

ARTIFICIAL LIMB.

No. 329.880. Patented NOV. 10, 1885.

NITED STATES ATENT OrricE.

GEORGE BEACOCK AND TERENCE SPARHAM, OF BROCKVILLE, ONTARIO, CANADA.

ARTIFICIAL LIMB.

fiPEQIFECATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 329,880, datedNovember 10, 1885.

Application filed August 3, 18:5. Serial No. 173,368.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, GEORGE BEACOOK and TERENCE SPARHAM, citizens ofCanada, re siding at Brockville, in the Province of Ontario, Canada,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artificial Limbs,of which the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings.

This invention has relation to artificial [o limbs, and it consists incertain features of construction hereinafter described, and particularlypointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of an arm. Fig.2 is a side eleva- 1 tion of a leg, each embodying features of ourinvention; and Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6 are details hereinafter described.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of thedrawings.

A represents a shouldcrcap, vhich may be formed of leather, rawhide,rubber, or other suitable material, so as to fit upon the shoulder andserve as a part for the pivotal connection therewith of the arm. The capA is formed like a hood, with the rear side, A,

thereof broader than its front side, and is provided at the end with aslot, A, (see Fig. 3,) in which the connecting-bolt B is inserted, sothat the arm 0 is supported at its upper end pivotally, in order that itmay swing in a manner similar to the movement of the natural arm. Mostof the natural movements of the shoulder being forward, the front of thecap is made narrower, to avoid forcing its edge into the breast of thewearer, while for firmness of situation, the rear portion of the cap isleft as broad as possible, so that the weight and conformation of theclothes of the wearer may act upon the cap to hold the same in place.The object of the slot A is that the cap may be upwardly inclined at itsfree end, to facilitate placing it in position upon the shoulder. Thegeneral outline of the end being circular, the movement of the capagainst the 5 inner surface of the upper end of the arm is such as toupwardly incline the cap and facilitate its being placed 'in positionupon the shoulder, as well as to facilitate the removal of the cap fromthe shoulder without necessitating unnatural or difficult movement ofthe body or arm.

valve, 0 or D which opens outwardly and (No model.)

The upper portion of the arm, and also the upper portion, D, of the leg,embodying our invention, are made hollow. In this instance we haveselected rawhide as the material. At a point within the upper portion ofthe arm or leg we insert a partition, 0 or D, in order to form anair-chamber, and communicating with said chamber is an aperture coveredby a closes inwardly against the leg or arm to pre vent the entrance ofair through said aperture into said chamber. By providing such a chamberand valve, the insertion of a stump therein forces the air therefrom andout through said aperture, so that a vacuum is formed within the arm orleg and the same held in position upon the stump by the pressure of theatmosphere.

hen it is desired to remove the leg or arm thus constructed, it is onlynecessary to lift the valve, when entrance of the air will allow an easyremoval of the stump. This feature of atmospheric pressure as a meansfor retaining the artificial limb upon the stump we consider animportant feature of our invention, and do not limit ourselves to theexact construction of valves herein shown or hereinafter described, orto any particular formation of the air-chamber.

E represents the pivotal bolt employed at the joints, and said bolt maybe constructed of any desired materialsuch as rawhide or metal-and mayextend completely through from side to side of sections of an arm orleg,S5 or may consist of separate short bolts passing only through thematerial at each side of said. sections. The joint employed hereinconsists of a hollow sphere, F, having a projection, F, one face, F, ofwhich is adapted to bear against the inner walls of an adjacent sectionwhenever that section having said spherical part is at substantially aright angle to said other section. The said projection F is at theopposite side concaved, as at F, so that when the sec- 5 tions aresubstantially in line with each other said concavity F may come incontact with the inner walls of the adjacent and pivoted section of thelimb.

By the projection F having the faces de- I00 scribed we insure a firmbearing of the sections which are pivoted upon each other when swung tothe extreme in either direction. The upper portion of the leg or arm isconcaved, as at F, and proportioned with relation to the pivot, so as tobear upon the upper edge of the lower section and at the inside of thejoint, whereby two points of contact are provided when the sections areat substantially a right angle to each othernamely, the faces F and theconcavity F The valve 0 may be of any desired construction. In thisinstance it is simply a piece of leather or other flexible materialsecured by rivets or stitches O to the body portion D or C of the limb,the said valve being creased or weakened or otherwise constructed at Oto form a hinge-line for the same.

G represents the thumb of the hand portion of the arm, the same beingformed to project inwardly into the hollow hand or wrist portion, wherea spring of suitable construction is employed to normally hold the endof the thumb in contact with the end of the first finger. The thumb andhand portion is perforated, the latter at the points G, for the passagetherethrough of a rawhide strip, strap, or thong, H, which is round incross-section at its middle portion and flattened and gradually thinneddown to its ends, as clearly shown in Fig. 4, so that when wet andinserted through the hand portion and through the thumb it may be drawnsnugly against the former and inserted into the hole G beneath thethumb, as clearly shown in Fig. 5, and its ends turned or clinched,whereby when said thong dries and hardens it becomes rigid and forms aserviceable pivot and a strong means for securing the thumb to the hand.

Although in this instance we construct the several sections of the limbsof rawhide, still we do not confine our invention to the use of 40 thatmaterial, as several features thereof are capable of being used inconnection with artificial limbs made of other substances.

Having described our invention and its op eration, what we claim, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, 'is

1. In combination with an arm, the cappiece A, formed to fit theshoulder, and having its rear side broader than its front side,substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with an arm and its supporting-bolt, of a cap-pieceformed to fit the shoulder, and slotted at its end, substantially asspecified.

3. A joint comprising a sphere having a projection, as F, with adjacentfaces F and F adapted and arranged to come in contact with the oppositeand inner surfaces of an adjacent section, substantially as specified.

4. In an artificial limb, a strip, strap, or thong of rawhide arrangedas a pivotal member of a joint, substantially as specified.

5. A strip, strap, or thong of rawhide, cylindrical in cross section ata portion thereof, designed for a pivot, and flattened or thinned at aportion thereof, whereby it is adapted to be wound and fastened,substantially as specified.

6. In an artificial limb, an air'chamber provided with a valve,substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

Witnesses:

WM. SHERWOOD, W. W. BLACK.

